Langlais Art Preserve

Discover

Langlais Art Preserve turns a Cushing homestead into an encounter between sculpture and the living landscape. Large wooden animals and human figures occupy the former home of Bernard and Helen Langlais, with paths offering different ways to explore the property. Begin near the sculpture area and give one work more than a passing glance. Its size may catch your attention first, but the arrangement of wood, the expression of a figure and the setting around it can make the encounter more particular.

Bernard Langlais lived and worked here with Helen from 1966 until his death in 1977. His monumental wooden sculptures grew into an outdoor environment connected with the place where they were made. Horse, dating to 1966, and Local Girl, Christina Olson, from 1968, offer two starting points for thinking about that relationship. Follow the on-site interpretation for their histories, then consider how scale changes your response. A familiar animal or human form becomes different when you stand beside it and look upward rather than encountering it only as an image.

The sculptures also invite attention to humor, gesture and material. Wood can suggest weight and solidity while a pose implies movement or character. Look from more than one permitted viewpoint, keeping to visitor routes and leaving the artworks untouched. A shift in angle may change the relationship between a figure and the trees behind it. It is a useful place to slow down with a sketchbook: drawing need not produce a finished picture to help you notice how parts are joined or how a shape occupies space.

The preserve's ninety acres support a broader outdoor visit. A short aggregate-surface sculpture loop is distinct from the woodland paths, where roots, rocks, bridges and changing conditions call for different preparation. Choose the route that suits your group and ask about current surface conditions if accessibility is important to your plans. Ponds, ledges and wooded areas add another rhythm to time among the sculptures. A longer walk is an option, rather than a requirement for engaging with the art near the homestead.

The site's preservation grew from a partnership involving Colby College, the Kohler Foundation and Georges River Land Trust, which became its steward in 2017. Its public life includes more than conserving the older works. Creative Nature programs combine outdoor observation with making, while Watershed Workshops connect ecological themes with artists' practices. Check the current calendar and registration arrangements if you want to join an activity. Those programs can make the relationship between art and environment something to explore through your own attention and hands, alongside looking at Langlais's sculptures.

The grounds are available from dawn to dusk, while barn and studio access follows a separate seasonal schedule. Confirm indoor opening before making it the reason for a journey, and consult the route information before heading into the woods. Ask about any photography restrictions when entering interior spaces or joining a program. Langlais rewards both a concentrated encounter with a single sculpture and a more spacious walk through the property. The connection between the two is the opportunity to see a worked piece of wood and a growing landscape together, each changing the way you notice the other.

Fun facts

1. The preserve covers ninety acres.
2. Bernard and Helen Langlais lived here from 1966 to 1977.
3. Georges River Land Trust became steward in 2017.

Read the official sources →

Visitor perspectives

1. Sheri H enjoyed the combination of Langlais’s sculptures and the natural setting during a May 2023 visit, recommending it to art and nature enthusiasts. This is one visitor’s impression.
2. Michelle found a June 2022 stop shorter and less rewarding than expected after a long drive. Her older individual reaction highlights differing expectations; it does not establish the size or program of the preserve today.

Capture

1. From a permitted route, place a sculpture against its landscape to show the relationship of scale and setting.
2. Try a second allowed angle rather than touching, climbing or repositioning anything for the image.

Social

Langlais Art Preserve pairs sculpture with a Cushing landscape.

Its wooden figures occupy an artist’s former homestead.

Horse dates to 1966.

A short aggregate loop serves the main sculpture area.

Woodland paths offer a different kind of outdoor route.

Creative Nature programs connect observation with making.

Barn and studio opening is seasonal.

Confirm your chosen route and current conditions before exploring.

Hashtags

1. #Cre8Travel
2. #Maine
3. #LanglaisArtPreserve
4. #CushingMaine
5. #ArtAndNature

Sources & visitor information

• www.georgesriver.org
• langlaisarttrail.org
• langlais-art-preserve.squarespace.com
• www.onionfoundation.org
• www.tripadvisor.co.uk